The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony for the 2026 holiday season is scheduled for December 2, 2026 in the evening, with the exact TV special usually running from around 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and the moment of lighting happening sometime during that window.

Quick Scoop: When are they lighting the Rockefeller tree?

  • In 2026 , the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony is set for December 2.
  • The event is a big live TV production, so the official broadcast typically runs in prime time (roughly 7–10 p.m. ET), with the actual switch-on occurring partway through the show.
  • On regular days after the ceremony, the tree is usually lit early in the morning until midnight , stays on 24 hours on Christmas Eve , and turns off earlier on New Year’s Eve.

How the date is usually picked

  • The lighting is traditionally held on a weeknight right after Thanksgiving , often the first Wednesday after the holiday.
  • For 2026, public holiday guides list December 2 as the planned tree lighting date for Rockefeller Center.

If you’re planning to go

  • Expect huge crowds and very limited space near the plaza hours before the ceremony starts; many people arrive in the afternoon to secure a spot.
  • If you do not care about the live countdown, visiting on any night after the lighting is much calmer while the tree is still fully lit and on display through early to mid-January.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.